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‘Sanjay Dutt is destiny’s child’: Dia Mirza, who plays Maanayata in Ranbir Kapoor starrer Sanju

Says Dia Mirza who plays his wife, Maanayata, in the upcoming biopic Sanju

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Dia Mirza has shared screen space with Sanjay Dutt in Parineeta (2005), Lage Raho Munnabhai (2006), Dus Kahaniyaan (2007) and Shootout At Lokhandwala (2007). Now, she plays his wife, Maanayata Dutt, in Sanju. It also marks her return to films after three years. Here, she talks about portraying a real-life character, the terrifying phase she went through without work, acting with Ranbir Kapoor and more...

You have worked with Sanjay in a few films. Did you get any new insights about him after doing this movie?

Absolutely. For many of us, especially, who are part of the industry, we had a sense of what was happening in his life. But when I heard the script, I was really surprised to find out how little I knew about him. Most of one’s perception about a person is from what one reads and hears, little of which is a first-person account. His life has always been publicly scrutinised and made us feel like we knew him. This script was Sanjay’s story straight from his heart, based on all his experiences that he shared with Raju (writer-filmmaker Rajkumar Hirani). I found it baffling and overwhelming that a human being has led such a varied life. I think he is destiny’s child.

How did you prep for your role of Maanayata?

You must know how intensely Raju and Abhijat (Joshi) write their scripts. They invest so much time in understanding every aspect of their subject and defining the characters that they leave little room to actually wonder. Having said that, at the human level you have questions about what one wants to achieve by portraying a character, especially a non-fictional one.

For that, you have to understand the depth of the person and have absolute clarity on their relationship — in this case, the husband and wife. Only if I know the full context of the situation will I be able to do justice to the emotion. I wanted to understand how Maanayata as a wife, woman and mother handled the public scrutiny that she was subjected to. What was her driving force, what kept her afloat and not lose her bearings. She has been a rock to Sanjay.

Go on...

I have known her socially for years. It was when Alibaug was under production that Sanju’s court case was gathering momentum. Maanayata came into his life around then. All of us had met her and known her. But before we started filming, we did workshops and look tests that would help me look the part. I also studied some of the news clips released around the time and saw her interviews and studied her body language, etc. But every time I’d get into the nitty-gritty, Raju would tell me not to worry and just be the part. The focus was on essentially understanding and being honest to the emotion more than anything else.

There is a scene in the trailer where Ranbir Kapoor is telling Anushka Sharma that he has had 308 girlfriends even as you are sitting beside him. How did you enact it?

When Raju explained the scene to me, the first thing I asked him was if Maanayata knew about it. And he said, ‘Absolutely’. That’s the reason you don’t see my shocked expression. She knows it and chooses him; she doesn’t judge him. Whatever Ranbir is revealing to Anushka in the scene or elsewhere in the movie, Maanyata is aware of. That is the most amazing thing about this relationship. It is free of judgement.    

What was your reaction when you were told about it?

I was shocked and thought if this was humanly possible. I was like, half the country’s men will get a complex after this! The society is so judgemental that if you confess to having more than one girlfriend or boyfriend, eyebrows are raised — imagine confessing to 308 girlfriends! But that’s Sanju. That is his unique quality; he is candid about himself even if the answer is socially unacceptable. While shooting, we have watched so many videos of him. We used to joke that we were stalking him.

What has been the most interesting aspect of shooting this film for you?

The last scene I shot for a Hindi film was in 2011 after which I produced Bobby Jasoos, which released in 2014. I also got married. I waited for two-and-a-half years to get a film that I wanted to be a part of. That was the most frightening phase of my life. I was worried that I would never get work again. I was wondering what will it take for me to reconnect with filmmakers and find the right opportunity again. I was so relieved when I got a call from Raju. He asked me whether I would hear the script as he wanted to cast me as Maanayata. From the time I read it to when I shot, there was only a 15-20 day window. The film’s first shot was with me. I didn’t sleep the night before — I was so anxious and terrified. Not only was there a huge gap since I had last faced the camera, but the pressure of delivering the part was also huge. I got up early morning to get ready and was sitting in my van biting my nails, trying to breathe, focus and relax. That’s when Raju walked in. He smiled and said, ‘Don’t worry, Mirzey, it will be good.’ My nervousness and anxiety dissipated immediately.

How has it been working with Ranbir?

We all know that he’s one of the finest actors of his generation. Of all the people I have worked with, what sets him apart from the others is his temperament. He is possibly one of the most patient, calm and centered human beings that I have acted with. Even if it was physically uncomfortable with prosthetic make-up, he would be the first one to arrive on the sets. He would come at 3 am to shoot at 7 am, sit for five hours to do prosthetic, which is a daunting task because you can’t move or even twitch. Then he would shoot in the heat and not lose his cool for even a second. That is a remarkable quality. Also, he’s extremely real, grounded and unaffected about his stardom. He has the most incredible manners and there is no hierarchy in his sphere. He is blessed with emotional intelligence, which is important for an actor to have. As a co-actor, he is so alive and responsive, it is beautiful.

What’s next for you?

Hopefully, more interesting film offers. I wouldn’t want three years to go by before I say yes to another movie. As a producer, I hope to create a lot of content on the digital platform. I’ve some interesting offers for web series, too. I’m also looking at producing a film.

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